Greetings from Mutare, Zimbabwe, on the continent of Africa! I am taking part in a cross-cultural experience with ten other Drew Theological students. We arrived at Africa University, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, on January 5 and are living in the student dormitories. Within our class are students from various African countries (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Angola, Liberia, Sierra-Leone, and others), five of whom are in the masters of theology program, plus ten or so bachelor degree students. Within the Drew students, we are from the US and South Korea; it’s a mini United Nations! The class is entitled “Christian Ethics and Global Issues,” and covers such topics as: eco-justice, HIV/AIDS, gender, marriage and family (including same-sex marriage). Discussions in class have been very passionate (as you can imagine), and we are learning a tremendous amount about the cultural influences on moral decision making. I look forward to sharing more about the trip when I return. Masketa (pronounced “ma-zeet-a,” means “thank you” in the native Shona language)!
Jerry at Great Zimbabwe, ancient ruins from which the country gets its name. Zimbabwe means “large houses of stones.”